New Millennium Stadium Pitch

Finally...

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Welsh Rugby Union Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis today announced that a Desso pitch system is the preferred option to be installed at the Millennium Stadium a year ahead of Rugby World Cup 2015.

The CEO confirmed that a new surface is due to be installed at the iconic multi-event stadium during the summer of 2014 to replace the current palletised turf surface for next season's Dove Men Series.

Desso is a hybrid system which intertwines grass turf with millions of artificial fibres to reinforce the quality of a playing surface.

Desso pitches now feature at stadia around the world and have featured major games from a cross section of sports including American football, soccer and rugby.

The potential £3.3million investment would also include a Terraplas cover to protect the new surface when major non-rugby events such as rock concerts take place.

The cover system will allow the Stadium to continue to be a multi-event venue attracting fans and followers from around the world.

Speaking at today's Event Wales International Conference where it was revealed by First Minister Carwyn Jones that the Millennium Stadium contributes £130million per year to the economy in Wales, Mr Lewis said:

"I can reveal that the Desso pitch system is the preferred option to replace the current palletised system at the Millennium Stadium.

"Desso is a tried and tested pitch system which we expect would answer all our requirements for international rugby including the 2015 Rugby World Cup which brings eight games to the Millennium Stadium.

"The new system would also include the purchase of a Terraplas cover to ensure that non-sporting events can continue to feature in our calendar of major events.
"The Desso would take us to another level as a world-class rugby stadium and multi-event arena."

The WRU has recently carried out a major review of pitch system alternatives to replace the palletised system which was installed to host Rugby World Cup 1999.

He added: "In our search for the best possible surface we took advice from a range of experts and ensured we listened to the voices of our players, coaches and conditioners before deciding which option to choose."

The WRU also continues to liaise closely with the Welsh Government to ensure any new system is fully aligned with their strategy of attracting as many major events to Wales as possible in the years ahead.

The WRU Board has supported the preferred option stance as the Union now seeks the financial support to achieve its aim.

Chairman of the WRU, David Pickering, added: "The installation of a Desso pitch would ensure the Millennium Stadium can protect its reputation as one of the best rugby venues in the world.

"Hundreds of thousands of fans watch Wales play here every year and we have a duty to deliver the best spectacle of rugby we can.

"The players are prepared to deliver their best and they deserve the best possible surface on which to play.

"I want to thank the board of the WRU for their diligence and hard work in considering the findings of our thorough review of all options before making this decision in the best interests of Welsh rugby and for Wales."

Mr Lewis also confirmed that a new grass pitch was installed on the existing palletised system after following the Wales v Australia international on Saturday 30 November.

The new pitch will provide a quality surface for the start of the RBS 6 Nations tournament in 2014. This pitch will be removed at the end of the 2013/14 playing season and the pallet system will be placed in storage.

Great news - was beginning to think they were willfully ignoring the problem!

Can't wait for glorious to whine about this….use of fake grass will probably be the central tenet of his chunterings

Ospreys and Swansea City play on a hybrid surface like this at the Liberty Stadium. Always seems a great surface. Seems better than an all synthetic surface like Cardiff's or Saracens for some reason, but Imcan't put my finger on why. Just a gut feeling. Anything's better than the current mush anyway.

Does this mean that they will either allow concerts, etc. to walk on it (unlikely) or will it be removable for these sort of functions? Or, my preferred option is that they don't use the stadium for these sort of things at all so the pitch doesn't get ruined. Instead use the MS and generate revenue for more of what is designed for, I.e. Sports. Especially if the new surface is one that can be played on repeatedly with short turnarounds.

Griff, the OP says "The potential £3.3million investment would also include a Terraplas cover to protect the new surface when major non-rugby events such as rock concerts take place."

These events are needed for finances and for Cardiff in general. As long as the pitch is good quality who cares?

Sorry Hammer, only skim read it to he honest! Whoops.

Yep, if they can guarantee the surface then fine by me. My point really was that one of the main reasons for the current state of the pitch is that it's on pallets so that they can chase the dollar brought in by other activities. I'd prefer the pitch, and therefore the rugby, to come first. But if they can do both without detriment to the pitch then happy days!

Griff wrote:Sorry Hammer, only skim read it to he honest! Whoops.

Yep, if they can guarantee the surface then fine by me. My point really was that one of the main reasons for the current state of the pitch is that it's on pallets so that they can chase the dollar brought in by other activities. I'd prefer the pitch, and therefore the rugby, to come first. But if they can do both without detriment to the pitch then happy days!

Absolutely.

The Desso pitch is a nice material. Played on it a couple of times over here. Either Desso or one of their competitors. The hybrid systems seem to wear very well and players socks don't get full of those annoying little rubber pellets. Also players don't feel the same type of fatigue which can happen with the Fieldturf or other purely synthetic equivalents.

Real men play on mud!

Scrumpy wrote:Real men play on mud!

And women

Scrumpy wrote:Real men play on mud!

We've been doing that for years at the MS, but everyone complains how "it's upsetting our natural flow". Bunch of prima donnas, the lot of you!

As usual the WRU is following the RFU.....

Twickenham Stadium, the home of English rugby, has a state-of-the-art Desso GrassMaster hybrid grass pitch. The installation of the high-tech pitch is part of a complete make-over of the stadium in preparation for hosting the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Superior drainage

Thanks to 20 million injected Desso GrassMaster-fibres the drainage of the pitch is of the highest level. Keith Kent, Head Groundsman at Twickenham and winner of the IOG Groundsman of the Year Award: "The old field only allowed 20/25 mm of water to drain away in an hour, whereas the new Desso GrassMaster system copes with up to 250 mm an hour."
More than rugby

Besides rugby, Twickenham hosts concerts and events. Mr Kent states: "Twickenham hosts over 55 matches a year, so it is important to have the best and most durable playing surface." With Desso GrassMaster the swap between concerts and sports is easy. The pitch keeps its great playing characteristics regardless of these multi-event fixtures. Mr Kent continues: "We now have less repair work and better results after concerts or rugby games."

Yep, nothing wrong with that (looking to others for best practice).

However, the Ospreys/Swansea and Cardiff City had Desso pitches before Twickenham, so I'd like to think that the WRU looked to them rather than Twickenham. Perhaps it was actually the blazers at Twickers looking to their Welsh overlords in the west for inspiration for their pitch rather than the other way round?!

Griff....the quality of these hybrid pitches are first class. Twickenham's is really good and hopefully this will deliver a surface for the MS worthy of such a fine stadium. The way the surface cuts up all the time and everyone slipping and sliding has been a joke so this is a great development, albeit a very expensive one.

would be great if the stade de france owners could look at such investment ...
wont happen anyway  

Presumably there will be no speedway from now on then.